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FORT MYERS, FL - Florida Gulf Coast University Center for Positive Aging invites the public to meet and hear author and psychologist Richard Taylor discuss life with Alzheimer's from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 29 in the Student Union ballroom at FGCU, and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 30 in Conference Room A-B at the Charlotte County Cultural Center.

Author of Alzheimer's from the Inside Out, Taylor gives a voice to the thoughts, fears and desires of all people with Alzheimer's disease, and offers valuable insights for their caregivers. More than 80 brief essays address issues faced by those with Alzheimer's, including loss of independence and personhood, communication difficulties with caregivers and never-ending uncertainty about the future.

Taylor has lived with a diagnosis of dementia for five years. A retired psychologist, he has started over 50 chat rooms worldwide for people with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones, and is the editor of a quarterly newsletter for people with early-onset, early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

"Putting my thoughts in writing has helped me cope with this life-changing diagnosis," Taylor said. "Now I am sharing my essays to increase understanding about the disease. I have an obligation to myself and others to speak up and speak out about my experience, feelings and concerns. If I do not, who will know what it is like to have Alzheimer's disease?"

Professor of Health Science and director of the FGCU Center for Positive Aging Linda Buettner said, "This is perhaps the most important book in the field of dementia care ever written. These poignant essays come from the heart and the soul of a sensitive and intellectually gifted man who has become a national champion and advocate for the millions of people living with this disease."

A live radio interview with Taylor and Buettner is scheduled at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 on Gulf Coast Live, NPR 90.1 FM.